Towards a maintenance-based approach to mode shift: Comparing two cases of Dutch cycling policy using social practice theory

A wide body of literature uses social practice theory (SPT) to analyze policies focused on behavior change, including polices promoting a modal shift to sustainable forms of transportation. The literature discusses how the embedded nature of social practices presents challenges for campaigns aimed at changing people’s behavior and employs SPT to explore the possibilities for moving towards more sustainable practices. This paper develops an alternative approach to applying social practice theory to the discussion of modal shift that is absent from the current debate. The paper uses SPT to articulate the value of supporting people in the maintenance of sustainable transportation practices that are already being performed instead of solely focusing on the obstacles for behavior change. The paper focuses on two case studies, the Dutch national plan to fund bike infrastructure in the 1990’s and the first Dutch national plan to fund bicycle highways in 2007. By placing these cases in the framework of SPT, the paper demonstrates how including a focus on maintenance can help further a transition to sustainable transportation systems with fewer potential obstacles than an approach than only focuses on change.